By Richard Thomas
The Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba (Dr.) Lekan Balogun, Alli Okunmade II CFR has charged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to collaborate with the committee put in place by the monarch on land disputes which meets regularly at the ancient Mapo Hall in the hinterland of the metropolis.
Oba Balogun was reacting to the presentation made by the Ibadan Zonal Commander of the agency, Assistant Commander of the EFCC 1 (ACE 1), Halimat Mustafa Rufa’u during the visit made to the Olubadan in his Alarere residence.
In the statement made available to journalists in Ibadan by the Personal Assistant (Media) to the Olubadan, Oladele Ogunsola, the monarch was quoted to have said that the Land and Property Fraud Section of the EFCC would have a lot to gain from the said committee headed by the President of the Ibadan Mogajis, Mogaji Asimiyu Adepoju Ariori.
The monarch who eulogized the committee for the achievements recorded so far noted with satisfaction that the purpose of raising the committee when he ascended the throne of Olubadan last year continued to be justified on daily basis, stressing that the creation of Land and Property Fraud section by the EFCC was a very thoughtful one which earned his applause.
According to him, “I commend your agency for your various efforts at riding our country of corruption and the division of your task into various sections as just rolled out by the Zonal Commander is an induction of your commitment to the mandate given you by the government.
“No doubt, we are still being confronted with challenges of corruption both in high and low places, but, your activities as we monitor in the media give us hope and assurance of a better future when it comes to respect for integrity as a virtue. One can only implore you to remain steadfast and focused on your core mandate and you can be rest assured of my support for you as a critical stakeholder”, Oba Balogun added.
Earlier, the Zonal Commander who is the seventh Zonal Commander and the first female to be so appointed solicited for the understanding and support of the monarch for her agency’s various activities, the purpose of which she said brought her and her management team to the palace as the foremost traditional ruler presently in the state.
She highlighted the activities of the various sections of the agency and their respective importance to the fight against corruption as well as the need for traditional rulers to key into their programmes, stressing that “the fight against corruption is for the well-being of all and the fight must be a collective responsibility. Of particular concern is the cyber crime which mostly involves our youths.
“It is sad watching our youths concentrating their energy on crime, using internet to rob innocent victims, both from within and outside the country of their hard earned money. Aside the bad image this gives our country, the future if those young elements is being destroyed. Equally, unregulated mining portends great danger to our soil aside having negative impacts on our farming system. All these and others deserve all hands to be on deck to fight them to a standstill”, the Zonal Commander said.
Halimat Mustafa Rufa’u was accompanied on the visit by ACE II Chinedu Eneanya, Head of Advance Fee Fraud Section, ACE II Olusegun Oloruntuyi, Head of Extractive Industry Fraud Section, ACE II Oluwakemi Ogunbona, Head of Land and Property Fraud Section, ACE II David Nkpe, Head of Economic Governance Section, DSE Egbodofo Olumide, Head of Public Affairs Department and ASE II, Taiwo Ajaja, Head of Operations Admin.
